Immigrant Bill Snared by Web of Suspicion

The Los Angeles Times ^ | April 8, 2006 | Ronald Brownstein

[libstripper]

WASHINGTON — This week's Senate stalemate on immigration sent a sobering message: Distrust between Republicans and Democrats has reached a level that can derail agreements, even when leaders in both parties publicly endorse the same policies.

Almost all the negotiators on the issue agreed that a clear majority of senators — as many as two-thirds — were prepared to vote for compromise legislation that would toughen border security, create a new guest-worker program and establish a path to citizenship for most of the estimated 12 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

ADVERTISEMENT But the bill stalled Friday and now faces an uncertain future, largely because each party suspects the other of a hidden agenda.

[libstripper]

A good description of what happened to the immigration bill and why it's not likely to pass.

[ClaireSolt]

I guess everything is a conspiracy to someone in LA.

[stopem]

Thank God that farce of a bill DID NOT pass. If it were HR4437 than yes it should pass but the amnesty rewarding the bums bill should never pass!

This weekend AGAIN American streets will be under seige and our streets will be held hostage again by the liberal sucking, defiant, disrespectful bunch of good for nothing illegal invaders!

The southern border MUST be protected by armed guards to stop any more of their kind to invade.

[peyton randolph]

Distrust between Republicans and Democrats has reached a level that can derail agreements, even when leaders in both parties publicly endorse the same policies.

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I distrust because leaders in both parties endorse the same parties. The immigration policies of Ted Kennedy and Arlen Specter are inherently suspect. Reviewing the details simply confirms a bipartisan sell-out of American interests.

[bulldog905]

I'm stealing this line from Glenn Reynolds of MSNBC, but it is so true:

"Maybe it's about time we get some 'undocumented Senators' in Congress to do the work our lazy Senators won't, like protecting American borders, security, values, and heritage"

And I bet they will do it for less money than the current crop of Senators will!

[Thebaddog]

And do you think that Brownstain might have an agenda as well?

[dawn53]

Good article. Looks like the Dems have painted themselves into a corner...AFL-CIO on one side, rabid DUmmies on another, not to mention the Hispanic vote. Reid was obviously being an obstructionist (even though I'm glad the bill didn't get anywhere) understanding why it didn't was enlightening.

I like this quote:

but there are questions for the Democratic Party as well" about its position, said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, an immigrant advocacy group. "Do they want a bill or do they want an issue? We don't want to be a football

[dawn53]

Is Beck's show on TV already? If so, I'm missing it. I thought it wasn't going to be on till May.

[saganite]

I didn't read the entire article but from earlier reports it's clear it was Harry Reid who killed the bill. Did the article mention his walkout or is this the new spin, that everyone's to blame?

[peyton randolph]

This weekend AGAIN American streets will be under seige and our streets will be held hostage again by the liberal sucking, defiant, disrespectful bunch of good for nothing illegal invaders!

---

While eating breakfast yesterday morning at a Dallas restaurant, I overheard the hispanic workers trying unsuccessfully to convince their asian and black co-workers to join the protest downtown this weekend. I suspect the MSM will portray it as a multicultural patriotic event with U.S. flags being waved.

I hope that none of the police officers are hurt if/when this protest turns ugly. In their shoes, I'd have tasers, rubber bullets, and tear gas ready for crowd dispersal.

[bill1952]

Good description? I cant see anything correct.

This week's Senate stalemate on immigration sent a sobering message: Distrust between Republicans and Democrats has reached a level that can derail agreements, even when leaders in both parties publicly endorse the same policies.

The real distrust is not between dems and pubs, it is between those who tried to railroad this bill down our throats and those who knew there was a hidden agenda, as in those cute amendments buried in the hundreds of pages.

Almost all the negotiators on the issue agreed that a clear majority of senators — as many as two-thirds — were prepared to vote for compromise legislation that would toughen border security, create a new guest-worker program and establish a path to citizenship for most of the estimated 12 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

Aside from making a path to becoming Americans for 12 million illegals, it does nothing of the sort.
There is no workable border security, no way to enforce anything, and no penalties - Its all just come on in ya all.

As far as a majority of Senators, who cares?
It is the majority of we the people who are going to have a day of reckoning for those yes votes.

It is not that I suspect the dems - I suspect all of them in either party.

[Free Baptist]

Glenn Reynods said that? Yes, true!

We have a little space of time now to contact enen more of our representatives. NO PROGEM FOR AMNESTY OR ANYTHING THAT HAS THE APPEARANCE OR COLOR OF AMNEST!!

Contact:

NumbersUSA (Roy Beck)
Friends of the Border Patrol
Constitution Party
Others.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

I think this entire thing is a joke anyway. We have many immigration laws that are not being enforced now as it is. What makes these esteemed lawmakers think that another law will seal the deal? Let's face it folks we are in major trouble unless we, the people, handle the problem our way.

[goldstategop]

The RINO Mel Martinez is quoted as saying the Democrats wanted the GOP position to be reflected in the House bill. Yes, I'm proud of that and think its the right approach. Ronald Brownstein, Martinez, Chuck Hagel, John McCain, Arlen Specter, Harry Reid and Ted Kennedy among others, are deluding themselves if they think the American people can be persuaded to accept amnesty. The American people reject it and have made emphatically clear they want our borders, secured, illegal aliens removed and legal immigration limited. Its up to the U.S Senate to heed those wishes and draft an appropriate immigration bill. Or Senators from all parties will pay the price in November.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[lucky american]

I would care less about what the AFL-CIO thinks and more about what the constituency thinks and pass measures that penalize illegal activity on our borders. Where are the Democrats who are against these illegal aliens? They must be contacting their senators and congressmen too.
These elected fools are not listening to us and going about their own agenda. I will be voting Libertarian or Constitution Party in the next election!

[rodguy911]

An excerpt from the article, "the bill failed...." largely because each party suspects the other of a hidden agenda.

This is simply more MSM/BS of course. The following is why the bill really failed:

Rush said yesterday and, I agree with his logic, that the reason this bill failed, (the one designed by our Rinos in the Senate,McCain butt/boy Graham, a couple of others, plus Martinez, a front running phony even if he is a pubbie),is that basically, by a margin of 70%, the people of the U.S. don't want it.

They(voters)are apparently letting their critters know and they(congresscritters) are afraid to vote for it(amnesty or any version of it).

Let's hope that fear holds but don't count on it.

[Farmer Dean]

The best position is to rabidly oppose anything that Ted supports.Do this and you will always be on the right side.

[stopem]

http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/aboutus/statistics/legishist/act142.htm

Read it and weep! We don't need a new immigration bill just enforce the current one with a few amendments like NO Anchorbaby, no alien can demonstrate on our streets.

142. Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of September 30, 1996 (110 Statutes-at-Large 3009)

Provisions:

Established measures to control U.S. borders, protect legal workers through worksite enforcement, and remove criminal and other deportable aliens:


Increased border personnel, equipment, and technology as well as enforcement personnel at land and air ports of entry;
Authorized improvements in barriers along the Southwest border;
Increased anti-smuggling authority and penalties for alien smuggling;
Increased penalties for illegal entry, passport and visa fraud, and failure to depart;
Increased INS investigators for worksite enforcement, alien smuggling, and visa overstayers;
Established three voluntary pilot programs to confirm the employment eligibility of workers and reduced the number and types of documents that may be presented to employers for identity and eligibility to work;
Broadly reformed exclusion and deportation procedures, including consolidation into a single removal process as well as the institution of expedited removal to speed deportation and alien exclusion through more stringent grounds of admissibility;
Increased detention space for criminal and other deportable aliens;
Instituted 3- and 10-year bars to admissibility for aliens seeking to reenter after having been unlawfully present in the United States;
Barred re-entry of individuals who renounced their U.S. citizenship in order to avoid U.S. tax obligations.


Placed added restrictions on benefits for aliens:


Provided for a pilot program on limiting issuance of driver's licenses to illegal aliens;
Declared aliens not lawfully present ineligible for Social Security benefits;
Established procedures for requiring proof of citizenship for Federal public benefits;
Established limitations on eligibility for preferential treatment of aliens not lawfully present on the basis of residence for higher education benefits;
Provided for verification of immigration status for purposes of Social Security and higher educational assistance;
Tightened the requirement for an affidavit of support for sponsored immigrants, making the affidavit a legally binding contract to provide financial support;
Provided authority of States and political subdivisions of States to limit assistance to aliens in providing general cash public assistance;
Increased maximum criminal penalties for forging or counterfeiting the seal of a Federal department or agency to facilitate benefit fraud by an unlawful alien.


Miscellaneous provisions:


Recodified existing INS regulations regarding asylum;
Provided that the Attorney General's parole authority may be exercised only on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public health.
Created new limits on the ability of F-1 students to attend public schools without reimbursing those institutions;
Established new mandates for educational institutions to collect information on foreign students' status and nationality and provide it to INS;
Tightened restrictions regarding foreign physicians' ability to work in the United States;
Added new consular processing provisions and revised the visa waiver program.


Last Modified 06/09/2003

[peyton randolph]

We don't need a new immigration bill just enforce the current one with a few amendments like NO Anchorbaby, no alien can demonstrate on our streets.

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Border wall/fence/mine field needs to be added.

[pissant]

Good. Kill the damn Seante version and let's just start sealing the border and quickening deportations.